Themba Zwane World Cup Ban: Why FIFA Suspended Him 3 Games

The World Cup team of South Africa just had another huge blow with their midfielder, Themba Zwane, being banned from playing in three more FIFA World Cup matches after receiving a red card during South Africa’s first group stage game against Mexico.

Themba Zwane World Cup Ban, This suspension will see the footballer miss out on the rest of the games for South Africa in Group A of the World Cup.

Why Was Themba Zwane Dismissed From The Game?

It happened towards the end of South Africa’s loss to Mexico by 2-0 at the Azteca Stadium.

During his attempt to move around a Mexican opponent who was called Roberto Alvarado, Zwane used his hand to strike the opponent’s face in what looked like an effort to shake him off at the outskirts of the penalty area.

Immediately, referee Wilton Sampaio from Brazil issued him a red card, leaving only nine players on the field since Sphephelo Sithole was also sent off during the same game.

Why Was The Suspension Increased By FIFA?

In accordance with FIFA regulations, suspension arising from dismissal is for at least one game. However, should the committee conclude that such an act is of serious foul play, violent behavior, or unsporting, it can go beyond one game.

In the case of Zwane, FIFA felt he should serve more than just one match suspension based on his actions.

How Does FIFA Proceed With The Disciplinary Process?

The Disciplinary Committee will look at:

Videos from the incident
Referee Reports
Match Commissioner Reports
Mitigating/aggravating factors, if any

Hugo Broos Questioning the Decision

While the South African head coach, Hugo Broos, supported the sending-off of Sithole, he questioned the decision to send off Zwane after the football game was over.

According to Broos, the Mexican player Zwane had been impeded by Sithole, and he felt the foul could not have amounted to the issuing of a red card. However, he acknowledged the need to respect the referee’s decision.

Implications for Bafana Bafana

With the ban, South Africa is left without one of its experienced attack players for the rest of the round robin.

Without their midfielder Zwane, Bafana Bafana will face both the Czech Republic and South Korea with limited attacking strength. With South Africa having zero points from their first match loss, losing their experienced midfielder is a blow to their chances of progressing to the next stage.

Can South Africa File an Appeal?

Yes. The South African Football Association has been advised that the decision made by FIFA can be appealed by its association. Nevertheless, unless there is a successful appeal, Zwane would still be suspended during the following three games of the World Cup.

Conclusion

The sanctioning of three matches for Themba Zwane resulted from the verdict issued by FIFA regarding his offense in the match against Mexico. Even if the decision can be appealed, South Africa is now left to play its following two games with a vital player suspended.